It goes without saying that a majority of people that use social networks online love to let people know what they're doing, how they are, among other things. We like it when people pay attention to us, and it's becoming easier by the day to let people know what's going on in your life. This is one of the main reasons why social media is the monster that it is.
Lately I've seen enough people starting to use Foursquare that I took a look into it myself. For those of you who don't know what Foursquare is about, it's a web/mobile application that allows users to connect with friends (as usual) and "check in", updating your Foursquare with your current location. The more you use Foursquare, the more the application rewards you through awards such as becoming the "mayor" of some venues, among other little tidbits. Foursquare started off small in 2009, and by March of this year it's managed to gather up 500,000 users, all pinging the site, letting them know where they are.
The good that comes from Foursquare, is that like with other social networks, businesses are getting involved. The company has several commercial partnerships with companies like Bravo and The New York Times to name a couple. With these partnerships, users of Foursquare have access to specials, badges, and tips for nearby locations. People using Foursquare can leave tips about the locations that you're around, telling you insider info on where to check out that may be relevant to your interests, or what you may want to avoid ordering when you go out to eat. Foursquare is also open to its users developing new apps for it. There are plenty of things like games, ways to talk to singles, and music check ins, just to name a few.
The dark side to Foursquare, is pretty much the same darkside to social networking. Having your face, real name, and birthdate all in the same place isn't ever going to be a safe bet. Foursquare has connectivity to other social networking sites, and depending on who you have as part of your network, it can take cyber-stalking and easily turn it into real stalking, if you're checking in all the time, and essentially laying out a trail of breadcrumbs to where you've been. That being said, you can avoid such things with responsible use of the internet. Though it is something to be careful with as far as use of the app goes, Foursquare can definitely grow into something more, and I'm interested in keeping an eye on it's development as it becomes more and more popular.
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